US Clay Entrants Own Combined 31 ATP Titles
HOUSTON (March 4, 2025) – The initial entry list for the 2025 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship has been released and it features 19 players who represent seven different countries and have won a combined total of 31 titles.
These players will participate in the ATP Tour’s only clay court tournament in North America at River Oaks Country Club March 29-April 6.
Americans Tommy Paul, ranked No. 11, and Frances Tiafoe, No. 17, are the highest ranked entrants in the field.
Tiafoe, the 2023 US Clay champion and 2024 runner-up, is one of four players to have reached the US Clay final returning in 2025. He’s joined by 2022 champion Reilly Opelka as well as finalists Tomas Martin Etcheverry (2023) and Kei Nishikori (2011).
Eleven players in the field have won an ATP title, led by Nishikori who owns 12 from 27 finals appearances. Opelka and Paul have four each while Tiafoe has won three.
Three Americans aged 23-and-younger are in the field, and each has achieved a career high ATP ranking this week: 19-year-old Learner Tien is No. 68, 20-year-old Alex Michelsen is No. 32, and 23-year-old Brandon Nakashima is No. 33.
Here is an overview of the 2025 field:
7 countries represented, led by 8 Americans
2 former US Men’s Clay champions: Reilly Opelka (2022), Frances Tiafoe (2023)
3 former US Men’s Clay finalists: Frances Tiafoe (2024), Tomas Martin Etcheverry, (2023), Kei Nishikori(2011)
3 players making their tournament main draw debut: Juncheng Shang, Learner Tien, Adam Walton
11 players who have won an ATP title: Kei Nishikori (12), Reilly Opelka (4), Tommy Paul (4), Frances Tiafoe(3), Alejandro Tabilo (2), Chris Eubanks (1), Marcos Giron (1), Brandon Nakashima (1), Juncheng Shang(1), Jordan Thompson (1), Yibing Wu (1)
3 players who have been finalist on the ATP Tour in 2025: Aleksandar Kovasevic (Montpellier), Kei Nishikori(Hong Kong), Reilly Opelka (Brisbane)
6 former college players: Chris Eubanks (Georgia Tech), Marcos Giron (UCLA), Rinky Hijikata (North Carolina), Aleksandar Kovacevic (Illinois), Brandon Nakashima (Virginia), Adam Walton (Tennessee)
8 players age 25 and under (Youngest – Learner Tien, 19)
5 players age 30 and over (Oldest – Kei Nishikori, 35)
Here’s a look at the initial entrants:
(Rank) Name, Age, Country – Mini-Bio
(11) Tommy Paul, 27, USA – Four-time ATP title winner; ’25 Australian Open QF
(17) Frances Tiafoe, 27, USA – ’23 US Clay champ, ’24 finalist; ’24 US Open SF
(31) Alejandro Tabilo, 27, Chile – Won two titles in ’24; Also has reached two clay finals
(32) Alex Michelsen, 20, USA – Three-time ATP finalist; Delray Beach SF last month
(33) Brandon Nakashima, 23, USA – Hit 100 career wins with Acapulco SF last week
(38) Jordan Thompson, 30, Australia – Two-time US Clay QF; Two ROCC doubles wins
(45) Tomas Martin Etcheverry, 25, Argentina – ’23 US Clay finalist, ’24 semifinalist
(48) Marcos Giron, 31, USA –Three QFs this season and US Clay QF in ’24
(55) Juncheng Shang, 20, China – Won first title last season; SF at Hong Kong in Jan.
(68) Learner Tien, 19, USA – ‘Wins over No. 2 Zverev, No. 5 Medvedev in ‘25
(76) Kei Nishikori, 35, Japan – US Clay finalist in ’11, US Open in ’14; Career high No. 4
(83) Rinky Hijikata, 24, Australia – Opened season with quarterfinal in Adelaide
(94) Aleksandar Kovacevic, 26, USA – First ATP final at Montpellier last month
(96) Adam Walton, 25, Australia – Won Brisbane Challenger last month, fourth of career
(97) James Duckworth, 32, Australia – Has won 15 Challenger titles in his career
(104) Christopher Eubanks, 28, USA – Mallorca title and Wimbledon QF in ’23
(105) Thiago Monteiro, 30, Brazil – Was ranked as high as No. 2 as a junior
(112) Reilly Opelka, 27, USA – ’22 US Clay champion; Reached Brisbane final in Jan.
(416*) Yibing Wu, 25, China – ’23 Dallas champion, Former US Open junior champion
*Injury protected ranking used for entry
The tournament will award two wild cards while four more players will be added to the field following a two-round qualifying tournament that will be held at River Oaks March 29-30.
